Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance has called a 48-hour nationwide hartal, supplementing the ongoing road-rail-waterways blockade, from Monday, demanding the return of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed and other missing leaders.
Dhaka and Chittagong cities were kept out of the purview of hartal due to the upcoming city corporation polls, to be held on April 28.
BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu in a statement announced the hartal.
‘Alongside the ongoing blockade, a 48-hour hartal from 6:00am on Monday to 6:00am on Wednesday will be observed across the country in demand of return of missing leaders and activists including Salah Uddin Ahmed, release of alliance leaders and activists, and in demand of general elections under a non-party neutral government’, Bulu said.
‘Dhaka and Chittagong cities will be out of the purview of the hartal because of city polls’, he added.
The BNP–led alliance on Sunday staged protest processions, alongside the countrywide blockade, at all districts, upazilas, thanas, municipalities and thanas of all metropolitan cities, demanding the return of BNP joint secretary general Salah Uddin Ahmed and other opposition leaders and activists across the country who have fallen victim to ‘enforced disappearance’.
Police in many districts thwarted the protest processions while the alliance activists were not seen in the capital, barring some sudden processions at some places.
Meanwhile, the 83rd day of non-stop blockade on Sunday was observed loosely as in recent days.
The blockade appeared not to affect daily life in the capital, other cities and districts on Sunday.
No hartal was called for Sunday by the alliance.
There were streams of traffic on Dhaka city roads and tailbacks were seen at some places. A good number of buses and other modes of transportation moved on highways and inter-district routes.
Shopping malls, private offices, educational institutions were open, while business establishments functioned without problems.
Trains and ferry services were unaffected by the blockade.
Reports of crude bomb blasts, firebomb and arson attacks in the capital and elsewhere appears to have abated for the last couple of days.
The BNP-led alliance Ramna unit held a procession at Wireless Rail gate in Moghbazar around 8:00am.
Ramna unit joint secretary of the alliance, Ahsan Habib, also a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, led the procession.
Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat-backed student organisation, staged a procession in Mirpur-2 area, witnesses said.
In Dhaka University area, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, BNP-backed student organisation, held protest processions in Central Shaheed Minar area and Bakshi Bazaar area in the morning.
Witnesses said the procession, led by JCD vice-president Alamgir Hossain Shohan, at Central Shaheed Minar area, was postponed after police chased out the marchers around 8:00am.
New Age Barisal correspondent reported that police barred the BNP-led alliance from holding an agitation procession in the town in the morning.
Police thwarted the procession that started from Nazir Mahalla area of the town, at Jail Khana Hospital road crossing, witnesses said.
After a scuffle with the police, BNP activists held a short rally in the area.
In Natore, the police foiled a procession led by district BNP vice president Kazi Golam Morshed at Half-Rasta area of the town soon after it started from district BNP office in the morning, reported our correspondent.
The alliance activists later held a rally in front of the party office.
Natore police superintendent Basudev Banik said the police took the measure to keep control of the law and order situation.
In Bogra, the BNP-led alliance held a rally at Sherpur Road in the morning, reported our correspondent.
The rally ended after a procession, which marched on PTI intersection and Yakub intersection.
Meanwhile, the police arrested four activists of BNP and Jamaat from the town suspecting their involvement in subversive activities, said Bogra police assistant superintendent Gaziur Rahman.
In Meherpur, BNP-led alliance held a peaceful procession in the town in the morning, reported our correspondent.
BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu in a statement announced the hartal.
‘Alongside the ongoing blockade, a 48-hour hartal from 6:00am on Monday to 6:00am on Wednesday will be observed across the country in demand of return of missing leaders and activists including Salah Uddin Ahmed, release of alliance leaders and activists, and in demand of general elections under a non-party neutral government’, Bulu said.
‘Dhaka and Chittagong cities will be out of the purview of the hartal because of city polls’, he added.
The BNP–led alliance on Sunday staged protest processions, alongside the countrywide blockade, at all districts, upazilas, thanas, municipalities and thanas of all metropolitan cities, demanding the return of BNP joint secretary general Salah Uddin Ahmed and other opposition leaders and activists across the country who have fallen victim to ‘enforced disappearance’.
Police in many districts thwarted the protest processions while the alliance activists were not seen in the capital, barring some sudden processions at some places.
Meanwhile, the 83rd day of non-stop blockade on Sunday was observed loosely as in recent days.
The blockade appeared not to affect daily life in the capital, other cities and districts on Sunday.
No hartal was called for Sunday by the alliance.
There were streams of traffic on Dhaka city roads and tailbacks were seen at some places. A good number of buses and other modes of transportation moved on highways and inter-district routes.
Shopping malls, private offices, educational institutions were open, while business establishments functioned without problems.
Trains and ferry services were unaffected by the blockade.
Reports of crude bomb blasts, firebomb and arson attacks in the capital and elsewhere appears to have abated for the last couple of days.
The BNP-led alliance Ramna unit held a procession at Wireless Rail gate in Moghbazar around 8:00am.
Ramna unit joint secretary of the alliance, Ahsan Habib, also a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, led the procession.
Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat-backed student organisation, staged a procession in Mirpur-2 area, witnesses said.
In Dhaka University area, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, BNP-backed student organisation, held protest processions in Central Shaheed Minar area and Bakshi Bazaar area in the morning.
Witnesses said the procession, led by JCD vice-president Alamgir Hossain Shohan, at Central Shaheed Minar area, was postponed after police chased out the marchers around 8:00am.
New Age Barisal correspondent reported that police barred the BNP-led alliance from holding an agitation procession in the town in the morning.
Police thwarted the procession that started from Nazir Mahalla area of the town, at Jail Khana Hospital road crossing, witnesses said.
After a scuffle with the police, BNP activists held a short rally in the area.
In Natore, the police foiled a procession led by district BNP vice president Kazi Golam Morshed at Half-Rasta area of the town soon after it started from district BNP office in the morning, reported our correspondent.
The alliance activists later held a rally in front of the party office.
Natore police superintendent Basudev Banik said the police took the measure to keep control of the law and order situation.
In Bogra, the BNP-led alliance held a rally at Sherpur Road in the morning, reported our correspondent.
The rally ended after a procession, which marched on PTI intersection and Yakub intersection.
Meanwhile, the police arrested four activists of BNP and Jamaat from the town suspecting their involvement in subversive activities, said Bogra police assistant superintendent Gaziur Rahman.
In Meherpur, BNP-led alliance held a peaceful procession in the town in the morning, reported our correspondent.
Source: New Age
